RUGBY LEAGUE

Rugby League is a game consisting of two teams with thirteen players on each side. To get points you score a ‘try’, which means to place the ball down past the opposition’s tryline. The game has two halves, each half is forty minutes long. Now we’ve covered the absolute basics, let’s look at the how the game works:

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1. Scoring Points: In Rugby League, the main goal is to get points. Teams can score by putting the ball over the opponent's try line, which is worth four points. They can also get two more points by kicking a goal after scoring, also called a conversion. There are other ways to get points too, like penalty goals and field goals, which are worth two and one point.

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2. Tackling: Like in many sports, the team without the ball has to defend. To defend in Rugby League you have to tackle other players to stop them advancing down the pitch. A tackle happens when a player is held and usually brought down to the ground. A tackle is complete if a player is either held still or the attacking player has been brought to the ground. After a tackle, the player must ‘play’ the ball. This means rolling the ball through your legs once you have stood up, the game then resumes from this point. 

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3. Six-Tackle Rule: Each team has six attempts to move the ball forwards.  If a team doesn't score within six attempts, they must kick the ball further down the pitch. If they do not complete their kick and are tackled, they simply have to hand over the ball to the other team from where the last tackle was completed.  

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4. Offside Rule: Offside applies to both the attacking team and the defending team. The attacking team must always be behind the ball before receiving a pass or chasing a kick. For example, you couldn’t directly kick a ball to a player that is in front of you. The player must be behind you from when the ball is first kicked, so this player would then need to chase the ball down the pitch. The same applies to passing the ball forwards, this is simply known as a ‘forward pass’ and the attacking team will be penalised for it.

In terms of the offside rule in defence, this means that the defending team must always be ten metres away from the attacking team after a tackle. Two markers that completed the tackle are allowed to stay where the tackle took place. However, the rest of the team must retreat ten metres. If any player is caught offside then the attacking team is rewarded with another six tackles. 

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5. Fouls and Penalties: Rugby League has strict rules against foul play which often result in penalties. Examples of this can include high tackles, dangerous tackles and obstructing other players. When a player commits a foul, the opposing team is awarded a penalty. This could be either kicking the ball further down the field to gain yards, or it can be a penalty kick. A penalty kick is a chance to kick the ball between the posts, giving the attacking team an additional two points.

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Watch more about the rules of Rugby League explained by Hollywood legend, and South Sydney Rabbitohs shareholder, Russell Crowe: